This invention is directed to a method of combining a series of types of disposable undergarments having varying degrees of absorbent capacity and toilet training features with information that corresponds to the applicability of the undergarments in view of the changing needs and abilities of caregivers and toilet training children.
The process of toilet training a child can be frustrating for the child as well as for the caregiver. The ability to control one's excretory functions involves both physiological and psychological developments. These developments take time.
As children increase in age and personal development, their ability to discern changes in their surrounding environment increases. A key area of change for toilet training children is their ability to notice tactile changes when urinating or defecating in a disposable undergarment. A child's caregiver is typically the best judge of the child's readiness for toilet training and is typically aware of reasonable expectations of the child's abilities in various settings and at various times. For early stage trainers, the children are starting to learn the difference between the tactile feeling of wet and dry, and do not have the bowel and bladder control needed to stop urinating in the disposable undergarment they are wearing. As children make progress in toilet training their tactile perceptions increase and their bowel and bladder control improve.
As a child makes progress in toilet training, he or she stops wearing diapers and may begin wearing training pants or cloth undergarments. Cloth underwear is not preferred by many caregivers due to the inconvenience of inevitable accidents. Both diapers and training pants are typically designed to contain multiple insults. As a child progresses through the toilet training process, they learn to control their bowels and bladder and can become capable of identifying when an insult has occurred in their training pant. However, high capacity absorbent products that are able to fully absorb a child's insults may prevent the child from noticing when an insult has occurred. As a result, less absorbent capacity is needed in training pants during the later toilet training stages. Furthermore, it can be desirable to signal to the child a change of expectations with respect to control of bodily functions.
If a training pant has a high absorbent capacity, it is suitable for the early stages of toilet training, but it may not motivate the child to finish toilet training if the child knows that he or she can continue to issue multiple insults without any negative consequences. If a training pant has a low absorbent capacity, it is suitable for the late stages of toilet training during which time the training pant acts as a safety net in case the wearer accidentally issues one insult, but it may discourage a child in the early stages of toilet training if he or she does not have to ability to control their insults yet and the training pant is unable to contain all of their waste.
There is a need or desire for a series of types of training pants and corresponding information that pertains to the toilet training process, the combination of which addresses a child's needs and abilities as the child progresses through the toilet training process.